Most of the time, when you head to the grocery store to purchase a food item that is in a package, there are likely multiple ingredients you either cannot pronounce or don’t recognize. Why are they in our food and can they be potentially harmful, considering they are not “real food”?
Mono and di-glycerides are the most common emulsifiers used in food manufacturing. If you are buying any form of processed foods, you’ll likely see them in the ingredient list. Their purpose is to prevent oil and water from separating in food, thereby improving the texture, consistency, and shelf life. For example, you will find them in baked goods to improve consistency, in processed meats to more evenly distribute fat, and in some candies to reduce stickiness. Although trace amounts are found in oils, like olive oil, commercial production involves a chemical reaction to obtain higher concentrations.
They are considered “safe” by the FDA, so why the concern?
- Are derived from processed oils, like canola oil and soybean oil, then likely containing trans fats.
- Can potentially alter the gut microbiome.
- May lead to chronic inflammation.
- Increase risk of coronary artery disease.
- Correlate with a potential increase in certain cancers.
- May negatively impair the immune system.
- A study by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) associates emulsifiers, like mono and di-glycerides, with a higher risk of CVD and cerebrovascular disease (i.e., greater risk for a stroke and heart attack).
The research around food additives is alarming, considering these are FDA approved and found in so much of the food sitting on our grocery store shelves. If you are eating packaged food it is near impossible to avoid. The best route is to focus on consuming “real food” - i.e., fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, nuts, seeds, natural oils, and unprocessed grains. If you can’t read the ingredient on the ingredient list, don’t buy it.
Sellem, L., Srour, B., Javaux, G., Chazelas, E., Chassaing, B., Viennois, É., ... & Touvier, M. (2023). Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study. bmj, 382.
